9 Ways to be a Health Ninja

Experts give us their fast-fixes for annoying health moments.

Hiccups happen when your vagus nerve (which runs from your brain to your abs) gets irritated. An annoying side effect: Once you get them, everyone and their mom loves to share their "cure." We got ours from a doctor: Cosmo Radio women's health expert Jennifer Wider, MD says it's important to overwhelm the vagus nerve with another sensation, so eat a bit of peanut butter or nosh on a marshmallow. You should be hiccup-free in seconds.

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You Feel a Summer
Cold Coming On

Starting to sniffle right before your big beach vacay? Try this trick from Dr. Wider: Drink loads of water, take vitamin C, and have some tea. A recent Harvard study found that tea drinkers' bods respond to germs five times faster than those of coffee drinkers.

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You Have Your Period
(And No Tampon)

Got an early visit from Flo? Don't freak: If you're in the bathroom, roll toilet paper into a tight ball and gently wedge it into your vaginal opening. This is only a temporary fix, Dr. Wider warns, so head to the nearest drugstore as soon as you can for backup.

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You Feel a Pimple
Popping Up

Zits don't come out of nowherewhen you spot one forming, that means it's been brewing under your skin for at least a week, says dermatologist Doris Day, MD. Whatever you do, don't pick it (it can cause scarring and makes it more likely for a new pimple to crop up in the same spot). Instead, hold a warm compress on the area for several minutes and apply a spot treatment two times a day.

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You Can't, Uh, Go No. 2

We've heard coffee can help get things moving down there, but Dr. Wider says it can have the opposite effect on some people. Instead, load up on foods with fiber. Try berries, air-popped popcorn, beans, dried fruit, broccoli, plums, and pears. Also, being dehydrated can stop things up, so make sure you're having at least eight glasses of H2O a day.

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You Cut Yourself Shaving

Smooth shaves are hot. Blood running down your leg? Not so much. If you cut yourself, Dr. Wider says you should wash the spot thoroughly with water and apply steady, direct pressure with gauze or a cloth onto the spot for five minutes (without that pressure, it'll just keep opening up again.) Finish with an adhesive bandage.

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We're all for practicing safe sun, but we get itsometimes sunburns happen. Pop an aspirin to decrease inflammation and sooth your skin by applying a compress soaked in half milk and half water to the burn two to four times a day, says dermatologist Albert Lefkovits, MD. Another insider trick: Apply room-temperature tea to your skin using a compressit will take the redness out. And next time, reach for one of these sunscreens before you head outside.

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You Lost Your Voice

Lost your voice the morning after an awesome party? Drink puh-lenty of water and other fluids (hot or cold). Dr. Wider says moisture will help bring your voice back. Also, take a pass on whisperingit will just strain your voice further.

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You're Effing Roasting

No one loves cleavage sweat. Keep your cool (and bod sweat-free) by applying a cold compress to the back of your neck or tops of your feet. If you're near a bathroom, wet some paper towels, and use that, says Dr. Wider. Chugging a cold drink can help, too.